News in 2019

A theater residency for the development of I COULD NEVER LIVE HERE, at Nancy Manocherian’s The Cell, with Artistic Director Kira Simring. Excited to bring this play to life! A public reading will be announced later.

STALK ME, BABY, my short comedy, is now available in Spanish, French, Japanese, and Braille. It took a whole world of translators to make it happen—check it out here.

Soon to be published by Applause Theatre and Cinema Books (thanks to Lawrence Harbison, editor):

A monologue from TV IN MY BONES in 100 MONOLOGUES FROM NEW PLAYS—MEN.

THE POLE AT THE CENTER in 30 NEW TEN-MINUTE PLAYS (developed by The Bechdel Group).

First reading: PROGRAMMED FOR LOVE had a reading at The Actors Studio in New York, directed by Katrin Hilbe. It’s about a scientist who falls in love with the robot of her own creation.

Honored to receive the “Jenny Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service” from NY Women in Film & TV—a marvelous organization!

A TV writing credit: Co-wrote, with Shoshanna Gleich, an episode for the forthcoming SUPER FIRE WOMAN AND HER SPARKS. This is a TV talent and talk show that finds the super hero in people with special abilities who have overcome obstacles and are sharing their gifts with the world.

My new TV pilot, THE REAL ETRUSCANS OF NEW YORK, is about a feisty college graduate who lands her dream job in a NY art museum, lives with her controlling grandmother, and creates a scandal in the Etruscan art gallery.

I’m adapting my feature film script JUST SAY YES into a TV pilot. It’s like The Odd Couple, but with two women: a rigid, newly divorced art history professor and a young, flighty/flirty/boy-crazy recent college grad.

News in 2017-2018

New Play Produced in NYC
TV IN MY BONES is a lively new comedy that reflects TV's ability to unite us, divide us, pervade our culture, suck our time, and by all means entertain us! It was developed at Saint Luke's 2nd Monday Play Reading Series, thanks to Richard Sterne and director Lisa Milinazzo. More about the production in the East Village: Produced by Tribes Players at Theater for the New City, directed by Stephen Cedars, August 9–13, 2017 (Phoebe Mar and Katelyn Pearce, co-producers). See cast, under Plays

August Editor's Picks: Five Shows To See Before Summer Is Over

Heading to Austin
Time to pitch my screenplay, JUST SAY YES, at the Austin Film Festival in October. A scholarship from Writers Boot Camp spurred me to write the script (thank you, Jeff Gordon!). The screenplay was workshopped by Lake George Theater Lab (Lindsey Gates, artistic director).

More Plays About Bots
TWEAK ME NOW OR NEVER was presented in "The Future Is Female" Festival by MultiStages (Lorca Peress, artistic director) at CAP21 Studios in NYC. Elowyn Castle directed Veronica Cruz in the role of the scientist whose creation is about to take over the world. Dan Teachout played the robot.

PRICK PERFECT, about a roboticist who attempts to create the perfect boyfriend, received an encore performance in the 2017 Estrogenius Festival (Deborah Long, producer). The comedy was brought to life by Ashley Griffin, director, and actors Rae Egan and Micah Stratton.

Soon-to-Be Published
THE OBJECTIFICATION OF CZAR NICHOLAS III, a play about a dog that helps a family understand the meaning of "beautiful," will be published by The Bechdel Group in celebration of its "24-Hour Play Festival." Gina L. Grandi, founder and artistic director, runs the group's monthly reading series at Jimmy's No. 43 in the East Village.

Smith and Kraus will include TWEAK ME NOW OR NEVER in its next anthology of "Best Ten-Minute Plays." Sr. Editor Lawrence Harbison makes it all happen!

The Actors Studio
I've been invited to be a writer member of the Playwrights and Directors Unit of The Actors Studio in New York City. What an honor to be part of this renowned community.

News in 2016

Off Broadway Reading
My full-length drama—I COULD NEVER LIVE HERE—had a reading in the 2015 Culture Project Summer Reading Series at the Lynn Redgrave Theater in New York City. Lisa Milinazzo directed a phenomenal cast: Amy Staats, Michael Hardart, Erin Wilhelmi, Jason Nuzzo, PJ Sosko, and Andrea Suarez Paz.

Off Off Broadway Commissions and Productions
Thanks to commissions from Crystal Field, Exec. Dir., Theater for the New City, and George Ferencz (of The Experimentals), I am writing plays about robots and their creators. Two short screwball comedies were produced for The Lower East Side Festival of the Arts (in 2015 and 2016, respectively). Now I am at work on a full-length: ROBOTS IN SEARCH OF LOVE & LOGIC.

Regional Production
LOOK AT ME (RUFF, RUFF), my newest full-length comedy, was produced in Denver by The Three Leaches (Melissa Leach, artistic director and director). Wonderful cast and crew! Grateful for development support from: The Lark (thanks to Arthur Kopit), Lake George Theater Lab (thanks, Lindsay Gates and Director Josh Hecht), and At Hand Theatre (thank you, Dan Horrigan and Justin Scribner).

International Fringe Festival
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS COMING? was produced by Gleams Theatre in the Montreal International Fringe Festival. With many experimental twists, Ira S. directed two casts who performed my play simultaneously. Thank you, Montreal for a great stay in your city!

Upcoming Workshop of Screenplay JUST SAY YES
I said “yes” to a full scholarship from Writers Boot Camp (grateful to Jeff Gordon out there in L.A.!). The result? JUST SAY YES is a drama with supernatural and romantic elements. Here’s the breakdown. Upcoming: The screenplay will be workshopped in August 2016 by Lake George Theater Lab (Lindsey Gates, Artistic Director).

Teaching
I was honored to lead a six-session workshop at the New York Society Library—my writing haven in New York City. “The Art of the Ten-Minute Play” brought a dozen writers together, culminating in a reading with actors.

For Your Reading Pleasure
Several scripts are available to download—on this page. Check out CHARLES WINN SPEAKS. It was produced off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre by Living Image Arts, directed by Lynn M. Thomson. It’s the story of a young Russian who comes to New York and becomes wildly successful, then spirals downward after his American girlfriend dumps him. (See Read These Full Scripts)

Publishing News: More Plays for Teens
STALK ME, BABY, published by Smith and Kraus, continues to be performed at colleges around the country. Another teen play—LOCKDOWN WITH PINKY—was published by Applause Theatre & Cinema Books in “25 10-Minute Plays for Teens.” Upcoming: MY TWERP will be published in 2017 by Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. In all cases, thanks to the extraordinary Editor Lawrence Harbison.

News in 2013-2015

A Show in the NY Fringe Festival
THE PHOTO ALBUM, by The Story Gym, is being produced in the New York International Fringe Festival in August 2014. I am honored to be one of five playwrights who worked under the direction of Lisa Reinke to create this interactive theater piece.

"Look at Me (Now, Please)"
My newest play, LOOK AT ME (NOW, PLEASE), has benefited from wonderful development opportunities at The Lark and most recently from a workshop with the Lake George Theatre Lab. Huge thanks to Lindsey Gates for producing the workshop, to Josh Hecht for directing, and to the actors who left their safe havens in NYC and jumped into both Lake George and my play.

Lots of Attention for "Stalk Me, Baby"
My short comedy STALK ME, BABY was produced by The Three Leaches in Denver, with much appreciation to Artistic Director Melissa Leach. It has become a favorite at universities across the country. Thanks to Lawrence Harbison, Sr. Editor, Smith and Krauss, for including this short play in the Best 10-Minute Plays of 2012.

Publishing News
Two monologues from CHARLES WINN SPEAKS and a monologue and a scene from I COULD NEVER LIVE HERE have been published by Smith and Kraus in these new volumes: "The Best Men’s Stage Monologues & Scenes 2012" and "The Best Women’s Stage Monologues & Scenes 2012." Huge thank you to Editor Lawrence Harbison. What an honor to be among the wonderful playwrights represented here. Order from Amazon (search for the 2012 series).

Giving Back a Little
"Opening Act New York" is an impressive nonprofit that provides after-school theater programs for students in NYC’s most under-served schools. I visited a school in Brooklyn and met an amazing group of students who were pouring their hearts into putting together a show. Do what you can for Opening Act. (You know what I mean.)

The New York Society Library is my writing haven in the city. I have been honored to lead my fellow members in these writing workshops: "Die or Dialogue: A Workshop for Writers of All Kinds" and "Facing the Next Draft: Love it? Hate it? Make it Better with C.S. Hanson." Thank you, NYSL!

For your reading pleasure: "Charles Winn Speaks"
Many turned out for the production of CHARLES WINN SPEAKS when it ran off Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre. The play was produced by Living Image Arts and directed by Lynn M. Thomson. It’s the story of a young Russian who comes to New York and becomes wildly successful, then spirals downward after his American girlfriend dumps him. The full script is now available on this website. Read it! Don’t copy it. If you want to do the play, then let’s talk!

News in 2012

Productions:

UNDER MY BOX SPRING was produced in Denver by The Three Leaches in "An Evening of Absurd Theater." Several New York and Colorado friends joined me in seeing the play. Enormous gratitude to Melissa Leach, artistic director, and Bryce Alexander, director. Check out this interview.

STALK ME, BABY was produced in Kitchener, Ontario, in the Asphalt Jungle Short VIII festival. Thanks to Paddy Gillard-Bentley of Flush Ink Productions. Wish I could have been there!

Thanks to a commission from The Experimentals at LaMaMa, I wrote the short comedy WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS COMING? George Ferencz directed the production in the Lower East Side Festival at Theatre for the New City. Jason Howard and Jennifer Koller starred, with Justin Rodreguiz.

Readings:

At Hand Theatre presented LOOK AT ME, LOOK AWAY (NOW, PLEASE) in a staged reading in October. It was directed by Bryce Alexander and featured a truly amazing cast: Scott Sowers, Margot White, Patricia Randell, Bernardo Cubria, P.J. Sosko, and Adeel Ahmed. Thanks to the huge audience who showed support! Here are the people who made it happen:
At Hand Theatre Artistic Director: Dan Horrigan
Executive Director: Justin Scribner
Associate Producer: Sophie Quist
Stage Manager: Laura Kim